Network Standards
By Rashid Amin
Standards
“A standard provides a model for
development that makes it
possible for a product to work
regardless of the individual
manufacturer”
Why Standards are
Essential?
Standards are essential in:
Creating/Maintaining Open and
Competitive Markets
Guaranteeing
National/International
Interoperability
Why Standards are
Essential?
•K sources and L receivers leads to K*L protocols and 2*K*L implementations
•If common protocol used, K + L implementations needed
The Importance of
Standards
Ensure that hardware and software produced
by different vendors can work together.
Makes it much easier to develop software and
hardware that link different networks because
software and hardware can be developed one
layer at a time.
Normally, the standards used in data
communication are called protocols.
Categories of
Standards
Standards
De jure
De facto
(By Law)
(By Fact)
Proprietary
Non Proprietary
The Standards Making
Process
Formal standardization process has three stages
1. Specification stage: developing a
nomenclature and identifying the problems to
be addressed.
2. Identification of choices stage: those working
on the standard identify the various solutions
and choose the optimum solution from among
the alternatives.
3. Acceptance, the most difficult stage: defining
the solution and getting recognized industry
leaders to agree on a single, uniform solution
Types of Standrds
De facto (By fact or By Convention)
Standards not approved by an organized
body but have been adopted as standards
through their widespread use
De jure (By Law or By Regulation)
 Standards that have been legislated by
an officially recognized regulation body
 Subdivision of De Facto Standards

Types of De facto
standards
PROPRIETARY (Closed Standards)
 Standards that are originally invented by a
Commercial Organization as a basis for the operation of
its products they are wholly owned by that company.
They are also called Closed Standards because they close
off Communication between systems
 NON- PROPRIETARY (Open Standards)
 They are Originally developed by groups or committees
that have passed them into public domains. They are
also called Open Standards because they open
Communication between different systems
Standard Organizations
Standards are developed mainly by 3
entities:

Standard Creation Committees
Forums
Regulatory Agencies
1. Organizations For
Communication Standards
Standards are developed by cooperation among
standards creation committees, forums, and
government regulatory agencies.
Standards Creation Committees
a) International Standards Organization (ISO)
b) International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
c) American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
d) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
e) Electronic Industries Association (EIA)
f) Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
a) International Standards
Organization (ISO)
- A multinational body whose membership is drawn mainly
from the standards creation committees of various
governments throughout the world
- Dedicated to worldwide agreement on international
standards in a variety field.
- Currently includes 82 memberships industrialized
nations.
- Aims to facilitate the international exchange of goods
and services by providing models for compatibility,
improved quality, increased quality, increased
productivity and decreased prices.
Telecommunications Union
(ITU)
- Also known as International Telecommunications
Union-Telecommunication Standards Sector
(ITU-T)
- An international standards organization related
to the United Nations that develops standards
for telecommunications.
- Two popular standards developed by ITU-T are:
i) V series – transmission over phone lines
ii) X series – transmission over public digital
networks, email and directory services and
ISDN.
c) American National Standards
Institute (ANSI)
- A non-profit corporation not affiliated with US
government.
- ANSI members include professional societies,
industry associations, governmental and
regulatory bodies, and consumer groups.
- Discussing the internetwork planning and
engineering, ISDN services, signaling, and
architecture and optical hierarchy.
d) Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- The largest national professional group involved
in developing standards for computing,
communication, electrical engineering, and
electronics.
- Aims to advance theory, creativity and product
quality in the fields of electrical engineering,
electronics and radio.
- It sponsored an important standard for local
area networks called Project 802 (eg. 802.3,
802.4 and 802.5 standards.)
e) Electronic Industries Association
(EIA)
- An association of electronics
manufacturers in the US.
- Provide activities include public awareness
education and lobbying efforts in addition
to standards development.
- Responsible for developing the EIA-232-D
and EIA-530 standards.
f) Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF)
- Concerned with speeding the growth and
evolution of Internet communications.
- The standards body for the Internet itself
- Reviews internet software and hardware.
Internet Engineering Task
Force
A protocol proposed by a vendor
IETF working group study the proposal
IETF issues a request for comment (RFC)
IETF reviews the comments
IETF proposes an improved RFC
The RFC becomes a proposed standard
The proposed standard becomes a draft
standard if two or more vendors adopt it
More Organizations
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
National Exchange Carriers Association (NECA)
Corporation for Open Systems (COS)
Electronic Data Interchange -(EDI) of Electronic Data
Interchange for Administration Commerce and Transport
(EDIFACT).
Forums
 Special Interest Groups with representatives from
interested corporations they facilitate and fasten
standardization process by working with universities, and
users to test, evaluate and standardize new technologies
 Each Forum Concentrate on a specific technology and
present their conclusions to the standard bodies
 Frame Relay Forum
 ATM Forum
 Internet Society & IETF
Regulatory Agencies
All communication technology is subject
to regulation and laws by government
agencies. The purpose is to protect Public
Interest by regulating Radio ,Television
and Cable Communications.

FCC
Federal Communications
Commission
The (FCC) is an independent agency of
the United States government, created by
Congressional statute
FCC works towards six goals in the areas
of broadband, competition, the spectrum,
the media, public safety and homeland
security.
The Commission is also in the process of
modernizing itself.